Archives for July 2018

Mario, Yoshi, and Princess Peach zoom by at around 40 miles an hour. They dodge obstacles and each other, occasionally screeching to a halt, and frequently waving to the crowd of spectators while zooming through the streets! Sound like a familiar video game? Try again. This is real life Mario Kart, a fantasy you can live out in the streets of busy Tokyo, Japan!

Tokyo is known to be the capital of crazy and cute things and this has to be coolest thing to do during my recent trip there. Yes, it’s legal to drive a go kart on the streets of Tokyo and yes you dress up as your favorite character while taking videos & pictures. This was such a fun way to tour the streets of Tokyo and an amazing experience that I will never forget.

Many of you have asked questions about where and how to book the Mario Kart experience so I decided to put together this guide for you 🙂

In order to partake, you need to have a Japanese driver’s license, an international driver’s permit, or a SOFA license (US Armed Forces). It’s mandatory that you must show both your international driving permit and your passport. Otherwise, they won’t let you drive.

The company I booked with was Samurai Kart, which I booked with through Voyagin. It’s best to contact them through email with any questions you may have. I received a response within a few hours.

I went with the “Middle Course Tour” which was two hours long. For me this was perfect (anything less would be too short). This cost $60 USD, or approximately 6771 YEN.

On this tour you can drive a go-kart around Asakusa, Ueno, Akihabara and many other Tokyo hotspots.

The meetup point is at their office in the Asakusa neighborhood of Tokyo. This made for a perfect day walking around the temples of Asakusa in the morning and meeting up around noon for Mario Kart. You can walk to their office from Asakusa station which is about a 15 min. walk. You will know you are there once you see all these Go-karts parked right in front

Next up: we picked our costume. This wasn’t a hard choice. I went straight to the pink gown & grabbed my crown. Princess Peach here we come!

It took about 30 minutes for all of us to be up and running then finally it was time to go! I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. It was a bit scary driving on the streets of Tokyo with the rest of the city’s traffic. I also wasn’t used to driving on the opposite lane and it was weird to be lower than every car on the street. Within 10 minutes I felt more comfortable and carefree. Our guide was great! He set up rules and hand signals to ensure we were as safe as possible.

I quickly realized that Japanese drivers are quite nice and 99% of the cars on the road tried to avoid us by driving in a completely different lane. I would not stand a chance back home in New York City on a go kart!

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE GOING

This was really an exciting and unique experience and ended up being the best way to explore Tokyo while having a blast. If you want to do this in Tokyo, make sure to do the following to avoid disappointment!

Make sure you have a driver’s license in your own country and be comfortable driving on the street

Get an international driving permit (in the US, you can easily obtain this from AAA for $20)

Contact Samurai Kart way in advance as they book up fast

If you come in the summer, be ready to sweat! Might be best to choose a cooler costume with more breathing room.

Bring a Go Pro for video footage and have a way to secure it to your body (head wrap or chest piece). You are not allowed to take photos while driving, but they have Go Pros to rent if you don’t have one. The tour guide will take plenty of pics for you & airdrop them all to you later, too!

The Go-Karts only have a small pouch for your phone and keys. Leave your pocketbook in the locker.

Follow Japanese driving rules and road etiquette, but most of all enjoy and be safe!

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Let me know in the comments below if you are planning to Mario Kart in Tokyo and tag me on Instagram @blondevoyagenyc so I can see your adventures.

Have you ever had a dream that felt endless, where you are traveling through a tunnel that goes on forever? That's how it felt walking through the magical Fushimi Inari Shrine!

GETTING THERE

Fushimi Inari Shrine is located just outside JR Inari Station, the second one from Kyoto Station along the JR Nara Line. The shrine can also be reached by a short walk from Fushimi Inari Station along the Keihan Main Line.

THE ENTRANCE

The main shrine that meets you at the entrance is nice enough, with it’s stark red colour and golden ornaments. But this is Kyoto, a city with hundreds of spectacular shrines and temples, and the main attraction is not the shrine itself but rather the pathway that starts behind the shrine.FUSHIMI INARI SHRINE

Is there any better way to immerse yourself in Japanese culture than dressing up in a kimono rental in Kyoto? I loved seeing all the women in kimonos 🙂 Although I didn't have time to do it in Kyoto I was able to dress up in a kimono in Osaka Castle.

Fushimi Inari is most known for having thousands of vermilion coloured torii gates. The torii forms a tunnel that visitors can walk through on their way to the top of Mount Inari. Each of the famous torii shrine gates has been donated by an individual or a Japanese business in the hope of receiving good luck and fortune. The name of the donor is inscribed in black ink on the back of each gate.

The hike to the summit of the mountain and back takes about 2-3 hours. It would be smart to wear comfortable shoes. My Nike Air's saved me! You are free to walk just as far as you wish before turning back. I took my sweet time...twirling around and just taking it all in. The gates are so peaceful and I loved walking off the beaten path and exploring fun side areas. I felt like I was in another world.

Along the way, there are multiple smaller shrines with stacks of miniature torii gates that are donated by visitors.

In some places the gates stand so close together that even the sunlight has a hard time getting through. They form a glowing orange tunnel that winds itself up the narrow mountain path.

THE FOXES

After a few minutes of visiting Fushimi Inari Taisha you will notice that there are dozens of statues of foxes across the shrine grounds. What does this mean? Foxes, or kitsune in Japanese, are regarded as messengers of the gods, much like the deer of Nara Park in Nara.

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Let me know in the comments below if you are planning a trip to Fushimi Inari Kyoto and tag me on Instagram @blondevoyagenyc so I can see your adventures.

A trip to Japan would not be complete without visiting Kyoto. It’s a city full of enchanting sites and ancient temples rich with spiritual tradition. Not to mention it’s filled with so much natural beauty that it makes it easy to fall in love with.

ARASHIYAMA, JAPAN

Are you are limited on time and only have a day to visit Kyoto like me? There is so much to see and do it’s hard to decide where to go! I spent the first half of my day on the outskirts of the city exploring the ARASHIYAMA DISTRICT OF KYOTO.

ARASHIYAMA BAMBOO FOREST

HOW TO GET TO ARASHIYAMA

From Kyoto Station, get on the JR San-In Line for a 16 minute ride to Saga-Arashiyama Station. From here, you can get a map of the area and will find signs that lead you to the temples and bamboo grove.

If you’re not staying in Kyoto you can do the day trip easily from Osaka if you take the JR train lines.

Arashiyama may look like a tourist trap on the main street, but if you head out to the hills there is plenty of natural beauty to enjoy. The most famous spot which you have probably seen all over instagram are the bamboo groves.

The best time to visit the bamboo forests are early morning/nights on weekdays. Or in the rain like I did. Even thought I was upset when I woke up to rain, I have to say having half the amount of tourists and listening to the rain fall on the bamboo was quite peaceful.

You will be unable to resist taking tons of photos, but you might be disappointed with the results: photos just can’t capture the magic of the place.

GRAB A QUICK SNACK

In between the Arashiyama train station and the Bamboo Forest you will find a little food market with the most delicious Japanese sweet and savory treats. We couldn’t resist grabbing a snack or two.

DOUGHNUT BALLS WITH RED BEAN PASTE

KONNYAKU

What is Konnyaku? A rubbery and somewhat flavorless food that appears in certain Japanese dishes. It has a consistency that’s like a savory jell-o that gives your teeth a funny sensation when you bite into it…in a tasty way 🙂

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Let me know in the comments below if you are planning a trip to Arashiyama and tag me on Instagram @blondevoyagenyc so I can see your adventures.

HELLO

I'm Christina, a New York based traveler & creative. I love pretty places and pretty things. Welcome to my travel blog where I share my adventures around the world ✈
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